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Umm, am I missing something? If they're targeting the gay market, why did they spend all that money on the Playboy spread? To attract gay women? I'm so confused!
Cars themselves can't be gay. The reason being that they do not engage in intercourse of any type therefore the car cannot be straight or gay. It is an inanimate object.
I don't usually peg a car as being "Gay" unless it has a big fat rainbow sticker on it. That is usually what tips me off.
Remember.. If you are straight and someone you knows calls the car a gay car, you need to ask them how they know what is gay and what is not gay. Obviously if they can tell the difference between a gay and straight car they consciously think about it on a daily basis. That would leave me to believe that the person that says the car is gay may be having issues of their own. Especially if that person goes out of their way to purchase a car that isn't "gay."
There are a few things about image that you must remember. If you are not gay and you drive a Cabrio, Beetle Mini or whatever that will not make you gay. You still will be sleeping with someone of the opposite sex won't you?
I have driven a few cars that were "gay." I had a dodge neon, which I liked because it was cheap at the time and had a decent amount of power. I now own a Z3 Coupe which I guess is apparently gay too. I didn't know that until I read this board. The only guys I have ever met that owned a z3 coupe or mcoupe were straight, but I guess that doesn't matter. So I plan on buying a MINI.
Why? Because it is a cool car.
I love the interior styling. It has a decent price, and I have always wanted to own a car with a turbo or a supercharger ( I know it sounds weird but I think that those two pieces of technology are cool ) It handles well. It's relatively cheap for what you get. You get the kick-***** bmw warranty which no one can complain about, and the car is fun to drive.
Any person who buys this car just for image should not be able to buy it. It is definitely a car that not only has an image, but it needs to be enjoyed. Drive that sucker into the ground and hang corners like a champ. That's what I plan on doing. ( Of course I plan on obeying all local traffic laws )
BTW... The buddy who told me the mini looked gay also is a guy who has a thumb ring, and is very well dressed and clean cut. After he told me he thought the mini was gay I, I just let go and told him about everything gay that he does. He shut up soon after that.... My point it everyone has or does something that is "gay." Big deal. F** it. Let's motor.
Okay, I checked out the article again. It is in the June '02 issue of "Automobile." The article is titled "The Super Duper Mini Cooper" by Jamie Kitman.
He writes, "And, at long last, a car openly intended for gay people."
Gee, thanks for explaining that. I guess this kills off my hopes of starting a MINI stud breeding ranch. If they could, would a One and a Cooper make an S (obviously I'm talking about straight MINIs here)
So, I guess I should probably put a "Straight but not Narrow" bumper sticker on my MINI. Considering that I'm on Cape Cod and Provincetown is the SanFrancisco of the East....
Well, at least my MINI will have lots of company in the summer months!
Basil, why do you keep posting pics. of Subaru's? I thought Crocodile Dundee made them macho. Hmmm, wait a minute.......Australia="Oz" as in Wizard of "Oz" as in Judy Garland who is a major Gay Idol. Now I get it
p.s. All said in fun. Straight, gay, four eyed, webbed feet, who gives a flying you know what. If anyone is that worried about what "image" their vehicle is projecting then you need therapy. As long as we're all loving our MINI's.
Missing my buddies Dan, Ed, and Diane but glad I have three angel buddies, And on a quest to Right Secco's Wrongs
I had heard about the gay thing. I cant see how the mini is a gay car.I really dont think a person's sexuality would make a difference on the car they choose.I think the whole thing is ridiculous.Me personally i think the mini is the most bad@ss car on the market right now, that is why i got one.
Oh come on Jakx, it's a reasonable question......I do think the title is a bit misleading though.....I wouldn't dare change it, as I wasn't the person who resurrected the thread, but perhaps The "Is the MINI a Gay "ICON" thread....... would be more appropriate, and less offensive to the MINI itself......
what do you reckon ?, a revised title help a bit......or is that not what your issue is ?
who give a c**p what population BMW targets? if you like the car, buy it! whatever your sexual orientation, religion, or race, the MINI is a great car and if you enjoy driving it, more power to you. if people are intimidated that it may be marked as a "gay car", then don't buy it because the MINI is a happy-go-lucky car, and those people are way too uptight to be a part of our community.
I regularly have to pass through the Castro in San Francisco, which is considered to have the greatest density of gays in the world, and I have yet to see anything there that is MINI related. Therefore the notion that the car is "intended for gay people" is either completely false or there are people in the marketing department that need to be fired for missing such a hotbed of potential customers.
I read Kitman's comments as more of a retort to the BMW executive's comment that "the MINI is for everyone - young, old, men, women, white, black, gay, straight." Just by mentioning the word "gay," he defeated the very sentiment he was trying to express in the first place. If I say, "Don't think of pink polka-dot elephants," what's the first thing that comes to mind? Pink polka-dot elephants, of course.
I'm a bloke. I wear pink shirts (you know the ones - don't mix colours in the wash - and Red shirts that are now so old they've faded to pink). I don't get offended when someone says "thats a bit gay" , or looks at me slightly oddly. Just means they are homophobic, and I'm man enough to wear a "discoloured" shirt.
Homophobia is a big problem, as can be seen by some replies in this thread.
If anyones interested have a look here, and for goodness sake don't take even more offence. I actually found it quite interesting reading.
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If they could, would a One and a Cooper make an S (obviously I'm talking about straight MINIs here) 
, And on a quest to Right Secco's Wrongs 
